Klabinmemory

What is the memory center?

Founded over 100 years ago, Klabin has produced unique document archives. Over this time, encouraging the preservation of our history has become an important differential in the business context, since it allows us to visualize our vast experience on a line of time and space and to see the consequences of past decisions and the results of future actions.

This history is kept alive by the Klabin Memory Center, which, over its 30 years of existence, has salvaged documents with historical value.

Timeline

1889 - 1930
Origins of the Project

The history of the Klabin Group began in 1889 when Maurício Freeman Klabin arrived in Brazil. An immigrant from Lithuania, the young entrepreneur left his family behind in his homeland and landed in Santos, São Paulo. He settled in the city of São Paulo, which was already emerging as an important commercial and financial center in the country. Maurício Klabin sold cigarettes to stores and inns, importing the paper and tobacco required to manufacture them. He got a job in a print shop that he later acquired: Empreza Graphica Klabin.

In 1890, Maurício F. Klabin founded his own company, M. F. Klabin e Irmão, which operated as a printing company and an importer of office supplies, in São Paulo. In 1889, together with his brothers Salomão and Hessel, and cousin Miguel Lafer, he founded Klabin Irmão e Cia – KIC.

The Getúlio Vargas government (1932-1945) was marked by an economic policy focused on promoting the development of heavy industry to meet market demand.

The paper and corrugated board sector led the generalized growth of the manufacturing industry. Problems caused by the difficulty in importing newsprint paper and paper pulp, among others, are mitigated by tax incentives for setting up paper mills.

During this period, Klabin Irmãos & Cia. – KIC experienced its first major development boom. The Group became one of the most important in the country, embarking on a process of rapid expansion and diversification of its activities.

1931

Start of ceramics production - Manufatura Nacional de Porcelanas S.A.

1934

Purchase of Monte Alegre Farm in Paraná to set up Indústria Klabin do Paraná, the first integrated paper mill.

1941

Incorporation of the Group’s first corporation – Indústria Klabin de Papel e Celulose.

1946

tartup of pulp and newsprint paper operations at IKPC S.A. High professionalization: substantial hiring of skilled European professionals.

1947

Milestone in the history of paper production in Brazil: part of the domestic market for newsprint paper begins to be supplied by a domestic producer with Klabin paper.

The Plan of Targets of the Juscelino Kubitschek government (1955- 1960) focused on expanding the public sector, with the construction of highways, the Federal District in Brasília, among other priorities, and on continuing the establishment of heavy industries.

The urbanization process and the pace of population growth caused far-reaching changes in the consumer market. New products and evolving requirements affected diverse production sectors, stimulating the emergence of new activities. Klabin already stood out among the country’s leading business groups and launches new products in the market: corrugated board, synthetic fibers and advertising matches.

1951

Incorporation of Rilsan Brasileira S.A. as an associated company of KIC in partnership with Nitroquímica Brasileira e S.A. Indústria Votorantim, of the Ermírio de Moraes Group, to manufacture synthetic fibers.

1952

Startup of corrugated board production at the Companhia Fabricadora de Papel.

1953

Startup of production of advertising matches.

1955

With the success of the corrugated board sector, the Del Castilho Unit is set up in Rio de Janeiro (RJ).

The paper sector predicted incentives for the construction of newsprint mills since it was detected in the early 1960s that the critical point facing the paper industry was the low production of newsprint paper, which supplied only a third of the domestic market.

In that political scenario marked by incentives, Klabin concentrated its investments on improving key production sectors by building new and modern mills, and centralizing its activities in the paper, corrugated board and ceramics industries.

The country started showing how the 1980s would be: high inflation, huge foreign debt, factors that combined with the global recession, provoked a sharp drop in market prices.

Klabin remained stable, thanks to a flexible sales policy that alternated between focusing on the foreign market and the domestic market. Always maintaining the quality of its production, it was able to export its products even with the global market in crisis and recession, indicating a high level of competitiveness.

Despite the difficulties, Klabin expands and diversifies its production in the pulp and paper industries, entering the multiwall sacks and dissolving pulp markets.

1982

Acquisition of Rio Grande - Companhia de Celulose do Sul - Riocell, located in Guaíba, Rio Grande do Sul.

1983

Creation of the holding company Indústrias Klabin de Papel e Celulose – IKPC, which becomes the parent company of Klabin companies.

The start of the 1990s is characterized by an unstable, highly inflationary economy with high interest rates, forcing companies to adopt new measures to keep their sales stable, directing sales either to the export or domestic markets according to demand.

The Brazilian economy resumed growth in 1993, after 3 years of stagnation. Despite the recovery, which began in the last quarter of 1992 with the definition of presidential succession, the pulp and paper industry faced hurdles due to oversupply in the market, increasing competition among manufacturers and significantly affecting prices.

In 1994, the Real Plan comes into existence with the creation of a new currency. The goal to stabilize the domestic currency and end hyperinflation, increase the purchasing power and bring fresh prospects to diverse sectors of the economy.

The economy enters the new millennium with prosperity and financial stability. Major investments are once again directed to the public sector, especially to infrastructure.

In Brazil, following the global economic policy trends, the Growth Acceleration Program (PAC) is launched with investments targeted at the economic development of various sectors to stimulate GDP growth.

At the end of the 2000s, starting in 2010, the global economy is deeply shaken by the U.S. subprime mortgage crisis in 2007 and 2008.

In Brazil, starting from 2010, already suffering from the derivatives crisis, we also witness the scenario of political and economic instability, with unpopular fiscal austerity measures. Accusations of corruption in the government and industrial sectors drive the economy to stagnation, with large companies accused of fraudulent overpricing, creating cartels and paying bribes to politicians.

2001

Klabin S.A. is created

2003

Klabin S.A. announces its exit from the production and sale of newsprint paper, disposable paper and pulp. Focus on packaging.

2008

MA–1100 Expansion Project launched at the Monte Alegre Unit in Paraná. The Unit becomes one of the world's ten biggest paper mills and Klabin is one of the six largest global producers of virgin fiber board.

2011

Installation of new biomass boiler in the Otacílio Costa Unit, Santa Catarina, to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and fuel consumption.

2012

Investments of R$220 million announced on a new sackraft machine at the Correia Pinto Unit, Santa Catarina, with capacity of 80,000 tons/year.

2013

Expansion of production capacity: of industrial bags, with the installation of a new machine, and of corrugated boards, with new corrugators and printers at the Goiana Unit in the state of Pernambuco.

2016

Inauguration of the Puma Unit in Paraná, with production capacity of 1.5 million tons of pulp, making Klabin the first company in Brazil ready to simultaneously offer hardwood, softwood and fluff pulp. Klabin acquires Embalplan, located in Rio Negro, Paraná, and the assets of Hevi Embalagens located in Manaus, Amazonas.

2017

Klabin inaugurates its Technology Center in Telêmaco Borba, Paraná. The new center completes the integration of the research and development fronts of the Company’s business teams, a strategy that was adopted to incorporate a global, unified and highly complex vision.

Visit by President João Goulart to Indústrias Klabin do Paraná de Celulose (IKPC).

Year: 1963

Place: Indústrias Klabin do Paraná de Celulose – IKPC

Photography: Unidentified

ARCHIVE – KLABIN DOCUMENTATION AND MEMORY CENTER

Visit by President João Goulart to Indústrias Klabin do Paraná de Celulose (IKPC). Samuel Klabin demonstrates operation of paper machine.

Year: 1963

Place: Indústrias Klabin do Paraná de Celulose – IKPC

Photography: Unidentified

ARCHIVE – KLABIN DOCUMENTATION AND MEMORY CENTER

Papelão Ondulado do Nordeste – PONSA

Year: 1970s

Place: Goiana (PE)

Photography: Unidentified

ARCHIVE – KLABIN DOCUMENTATION AND MEMORY CENTER

Paper Machine 7.

Year: 1980

Place: Industrias Klabin do Paraná de Celulose – IKPC

Photography: Unidentified

ARCHIVE – KLABIN DOCUMENTATION AND MEMORY CENTER

Betim Unit

Year: 1980s

Place: Betim (MG)

Photography: Unidentified

ARCHIVE – KLABIN DOCUMENTATION AND MEMORY CENTER

São Leopoldo Unit

Year: 1980s

Place: São Leopoldo (RS)

Photography: Unidentified

ARCHIVE – KLABIN DOCUMENTATION AND MEMORY CENTER

Plaque unveiled in honor of the visit by President João Batista Figueiredo. On the left, Miguel Lafer, then Chairman of the Board of Directors of Klabin, and, on the right, President João Batista Figueiredo.